PARIS: Police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters in several French cities on Saturday as some of the most violent protests in years over living costs and public services drew thousands onto the streets.
French authorities said 140 protests involving 32,800 people had been recorded outside Paris by midday and blamed the unrest on what they described as the “ultra-left”.
The protests began last month at high schools in Paris’ poor northern suburbs, where anger over teacher shortages and shabby facilities evolved into a broader movement focused on inequality, public spending and living standards.
Violent incidents were reported in several cities, including vandalism in Marseille and attacks targeting police, media and public buildings, the Interior Ministry said.
A large police presence was visible in central Paris, especially near landmarks such as the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, which were excluded from the routes of two authorised demonstrations.
Protesters in high-visibility vests blocked streets, recalling the Yellow Vest movement that marked President Emmanuel Macron’s previous term in office.
In Marseille, the mayor said the town hall had been vandalised and that additional police were being sent to the city following talks with the prime minister and interior minister.
“We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh, because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions,” said Lola, a 19-year-old protester in Paris.
About 100 people walked towards the start of the protests shouting “All cops are bastards”, according to a Reuters witness.
Macron, who urged calm on Friday, is entering the final stretch of his presidency amid a fragmented political landscape and growing pressure over the economy.
France’s efforts to reduce public debt have failed to reassure investors, pushing government borrowing costs to their highest levels in more than two decades.
Police response under scrutiny
Police tactics have drawn criticism following a series of injuries among demonstrators, including a teenager who lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said more than 900 police officers had also been injured.
The police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence. France suspended the use of stun grenades during the student demonstrations, but Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said they could be used on Saturday.
Calls on social media for veterans of previous protest movements to join the demonstrations appeared to have broadened participation, raising the prospect of larger.
The Yellow Vest movement emerged in 2018 in opposition to diesel taxes before expanding into a wider protest against
living costs and inequality. The movement subsided after Macron announced billions of euros in tax cuts.
Yannick Maillou, a teacher from La Crèche in western France who participated in the Yellow Vest movement, said several gathering points had been organised locally for Saturday’s protests, with labour unions also encouraging participation.